Improvement in awl-hafts



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AWL-HAFT.

Z I@% m um mm MFEIERs, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPH ER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNIT D STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS P. CURTISS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN AWL-HAFTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,462, dated April 25, 1876; application filed September 23, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JQNAS P. CURTIss, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Awl-Hat'ts, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in the peculiar con-. struction and combination of the parts, as hereinafter d escribed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an awl-haft, taken on the plane a; w of Fig. 4, which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a like section of the same, taken on the plane y y of Fig. 4; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detached views of the various parts of the same.

A designates a metal socket, preferably of cast malleable metal, and made hollow to re-' ceive and hold a wooden plug, B. This metal socket may extend nearly to the top of the plug, as shown in the drawing, or onlyjust far enough to secure sufficient length to properly attach it to the handle or plug, as in such case the plug would constitute the handle. In all cases the plug should extend a short dista-nce above the end of the socket, so that the plug, and not the metal socket, will receive the blows ot' the hammers in the act of drivin g the awl-bait with such an instrument. When the plug becomes battered so as to be unfit for use it can be bored or burned out and a new oneinserted. The plug should always be of such size that its lower end will strike the bottom of the socket. At the lower outer end of the socket I form a flat seat, a, and projecting therefrom are two lugs, b b, set some distance apart and threaded upon their outsides, forming what might be termed a slotted and threaded cylinder. These lugs b b I design to cast in one and the same piece of metal with the socket A, as shown in the drawings, but without any thread thereon, so that after the casting is obtained it is only necessary to dress out the slot and cut a screw-thread upon the lugs. I also form two jaws, c 0, (most clearly shown in Fig. 3,) the noses of which are tapered, as shown, and the bases of which are square with their inner faces. The thickness of these jaws is such that they will readily pass through between the lugs b b, and when between them their bases will rest upon the flat seat it, upon which they may move to and from each other. I also provide a nut, D, threaded internally to fit the thread upon the lugs and contracted at its outer end, so that the jaws c 0, when side by side, cannot pass through said nut.

By placing the awl between the jaws c c and forcing the nut toward the socket A the contraction at the end of the nut will force the jaws firmly toward each other, so as to grasp the awl and secure it in place. The flat seat also forms a solid rest for the butt of the awl, so that it cannot be driven into the haft beyond the seat.

It is, of course, evident that the socket A might be dispensed with, and as a substitute therefor a shank might extend upward from the seat a, which shank could be attached to a handle or plug by inserting it in the end thereof, all of which would not in any manner change the operation of the other parts, except the handle would be more liable to split.

The awl-haft herein shown and described can be produced at very small cost.

I am aware that a screw-nut for forcing griping-jaws together is old, both when working on a slotted cylinder and when working on threaded jaws, and therefore I do not wish myinvention construed broader than myclaim.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the flat seat a, lugs b b, jaws o c, and nut D, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the nut D, jaws c c, lugs b 1), seat a, socket A, and plug or handle B, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JONAS P. CURTISS.

Witnesses:

H. P. GANGLOFF, JAMEs SHEPARD. 

